Interpreting Prospect Bluff

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In the 19th century, a fort and independent settlement of enslavement escapees and their descendants emerged along the Apalachicola River. Prospect Bluff, which eventually became to be known as “Negro Fort”, was a place where Maroons resisted the institutions of slavery. Prospect Bluff hosted a vibrant community of Maroons. At its peak it was home to Native Americans as well as Black men, women, and children from varying cultures including Spanish, British, and French Caribbean. The fort, though heavily armed, was eventually destroyed by the U.S. Navy because it was marked as a threat to the emerging presence of U.S. imperialism. The construction of communities like the one at Prospect Bluff, are a materialized reality of the consciousness and extent to which African descendant people in the Americas physically and intellectually fought for their freedom. Archaeological surveys at Prospect Bluff and along the Apalachicola River will hopefully reveal data to interpret these Maroons stories, and provide valuable historical information to the communities throughout the Apalachicola region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40147.0